Overview
Synopsis
Chekhov is alive and well in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where adult siblings Vanya and Sonia reside in their old family home, mourning their lost dreams and missed opportunities. When their often-wrong, fortune-telling maid warns of impending dangers, and their movie star sister, Masha, arrives unexpectedly with young, sexy, boy toy, Spike, the family is launched into a rollicking weekend of one-upmanship, exposed nerves, and a lot of broken mugs. With wit and absurdity, Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike blends Chekhov’s famous ennui with the modern-day toils and troubles of celebrity, social networking, and age into a laugh-out-loud comedy that will tickle your funny bone and stimulate your mind.
Show Information
- Book
- Christopher Durang
- Category
- Play
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2012
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce
- Settings
- Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- a lovely farmhouse in bucks county, pennsylvania. the present.
- Cast Size
- small
- Licensor
- Dramatists Play Service
- Ideal For
- Community Theatre, Regional Theatre, Mostly Female Cast, Includes Adult, Mature Adult, Young Adult Characters, Small Cast
Context
Christopher Durang’s work spans three decades, and includes many popular plays, including Laughing Wild, Beyond Therapy, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All For You, ‘Dentity Crisis, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, and Betty’s Summer Vacation. Known for his absurd comedies, Durang’s plays often discuss mental illness, homosexuality, religion, and the madness of the theatre business, Durang is widely produced off-Broadway and regionally, but prior to 2013, had not had a standalone
to read the context for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
In their family home in Bucks County, siblings Vanya (gay and unhappy) and Sonia (adopted and bitter) are getting ready for the day. Sonia brings Vanya his usual cup of coffee, but Vanya already has one, which he claims tastes better. Frustrated, Sonia smashes both mugs against the wall, beginning the first of many to fights that will ensue over the course of the upcoming weekend. Eventually, the two siblings come to an understanding, though they leave the broken mugs still
to read the plot for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
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|
Lead |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Spoken |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Non-singer |
Songs
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
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Videos
Quizzes
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Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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